Rachel Dolezal Accused of Welfare Fraud

Rachel Dolezal, the former Washington state NAACP president who was thrust into the spotlight after media revealed she was a white woman posing as black, is facing welfare fraud charges.

Dolezal, who legally changed her name to Nkechi Diallo in 2016, could face up to 15 years in prison after authorities say she received over $8,000 in public assistance from August 15 to November 17. She’s accused of welfare fraud, perjury and false verification for public assistance.

What raised eye brows and sparked the investigation was when she published her book, "In Full Color: finding My Place In A Black and White World" the following month. This caused Washington State Department of Social and Health Services to become skeptical of the "less than $500/month income (from child support) that she reported.

Bank records indicated she had deposited about $83,924 into her bank account in several monthly installments between August 2015 and September 2017, without reporting the income to the DSHS, according to court documents. When broken down by the year, it's really not a lot of money.... at least not a lot to risk your freedom for.

Last month, Netflix premiered a documentary about her life titled The Rachel Divide. WARNING... It's kind of difficult to watch.